US: Business booming for U.S. defense contractors by Peter Bauer, MenafnAugust 20th, 2005U.S. defence contractors are riding high these days, buoyed by rising Pentagon spending on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the high cost of homeland security in the U.S.-declared war on terror.
The fiscal 2006 defence budget is set to climb to 441 billion dollars, an increase of 21 billion dollars over 2005. It envisions an additional 50 billion dollars for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

IRAQ: The Trillion-Dollar Warby Linda Bilmes, The New York TimesAugust 19th, 2005The cost goes well beyond -- ongoing current costs, foreign aid to reward cooperation in Iraq, inducements for recruits and for military personnel serving second and third deployments, replacing military hardware and long-term costs for disability and health payments of returning troops bring the price tag to over $1 trillion.

IRAQ: The Other Armyby Daniel Bergner, The New York TimesAugust 14th, 2005One of the largest private security companies in Iraq, Triple Canopy, was born immediately after the invasion. Plenty of other companies have done the same, some that were more established before the American invasion, some less.

IRAQ: Pentagon Report Finds 'Coordination,' Not 'Control' of Security Contractorsby Nathan Hodge, Defense DailyAugust 12th, 2005Earlier this summer, Marines detained a group of private contractors in Iraq for allegedly firing on their positions in Fallujah; the contractors, who worked for North Carolina-based Zapata Engineering, were expelled from Iraq after their release. That highly publicized incident followed questions from lawmakers about oversight of contractors operating in Iraq and Afghanistan.

IRAQ: Lucrative FraudThe Baltimore SunAugust 12th, 2005Since 2003, the disbursement of aid and reconstruction funds in Iraq has not been in the hands of the United Nations, and if anything the record is even more dismal.

Australia: How corporae Australia plunders Iraq by Andrew Lowenthal , Green Left Weekly August 10th, 2005The Worley Group, a major engineering and infrastructure company, now find their everyday business disrupted by activists with placards reading “Occupy the occupiers”.
Australian corporations have been well rewarded for their government’s participation in the invasion and occupation of Iraq. A host of companies have received contracts related to oil infrastructures, communications technology, transport, food distribution and much more.

US: The Hidden Contractor Casualties in Iraqby Kevin Whitelaw, US News and World ReportAugust 8th, 2005In a report the Pentagon submitted to Congress earlier this year, some partial figures have been released. From May 2003 through October 2004, U.S. authorities recorded at least 1,171 contractor casualties, including 166 contractors who were killed.

IRAQ: Contractors and Military in 'Bidding War'by Matt Kelley, USA TodayJuly 31st, 2005The U.S. military has hired private companies at a cost approaching $1 billion to help dispose of Saddam Hussein's arsenal in Iraq. That spending has created fierce competition for specialized workers that's draining the military's ranks of explosives experts. Experienced military explosives specialists can earn $250,000 a year or more,

IRAQ: Sierra Leone Workers Head for IraqAljazeeraJuly 30th, 2005The Labour Ministry's overseas employment officer Ismael Kargbo declined to reveal the name of the company, but said the government had contracted a wage of roughly $100 per month for each of the workers, plus perks such as free international telephone calls.

IRAQ: Worry Grows as Foreigners Flock to Risky Jobsby Sonni Efron, The Los Angeles TimesJuly 30th, 2005If hired, the Colombians would join a swelling population of heavily armed private military forces working in Iraq who are seeking higher wages in dangerous jobs and what some critics say is a troubling result of efforts by the U.S. to "outsource" its operations in Iraq and other countries.

IRAQ: Security Costs Slow Iraq Reconstructionby Renae Merle and Griff Witte, The Washington PostJuly 29th, 2005Efforts to rebuild water, electricity and health networks in Iraq are being shortchanged by higher-than-expected costs to provide security and by generous financial awards to contractors, according to a series of reports by government investigators.

US: The Best Army We Can Buyby David M. Kennedy, The New York TimesJuly 25th, 2005Our soldiers are hired from within the citizenry, unlike the hated Hessians whom George III recruited to fight against the American Revolutionaries. But like those Hessians, today's volunteers sign up for some mighty dangerous work largely for wages and benefits - a compensation package that may not always be commensurate with the dangers in store, as current recruiting problems testify.

US: Recruiting Database Inspires Outrageby Sue Bushell, CIOJuly 15th, 2005Privacy advocates and anti-war campaigners in the US are outraged at revelations that the Defense Department and a private contractor have been building an extensive database of 30 million 16-to-25-year-olds to assist military recruiters.

INDIA: Bechtel Sells Its Stake In Dabhol Power Plant
by JOHN LARKIN, Wall Street JournalJuly 14th, 2005 Bechtel Group Inc. agreed to sell its equity in the troubled Dabhol power project for $160 million, according to people involved in the transaction, edging India closer to ending a four-year dispute that has plagued its efforts to boost foreign investment.

IRAQ: L-3 Snaps Up $426-million Army Intel Work Red HerringJuly 11th, 2005L-3 Communications has landed a contract with the U.S. Army to provide “intelligence support services in Iraq” worth up to $426 million, another sign that the eight-year-old defense contractor could be on the road to one day rivaling industry heavyweights like Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

US: Whistleblower suit against Custer Battles can proceedby Matthew Barakat, Associated Press State & Local WireJuly 11th, 2005Two whistleblowers who allege that a Fairfax-based contractor cheated taxpayers out of tens of millions of dollars on reconstruction projects in Iraq can proceed with their lawsuit, a judge has ruled. But parts of the ruling could have negative consequences for those who file similar claims against other contractors, according to a lawyer for the whistleblowers.

IRAQ: Tension and Confusion Between Troops, and Contractors on the Battlefieldby Josh White and Griff Witte, The Washington PostJuly 10th, 2005Private security contractors operate outside the military chain of command and are not subject to military law, which can lead to resentment and confusion in the field. Contractors, many of them veterans of years in combat, complain that young U.S. troops lack their experience and judgment under pressure. Yet each group cannot carry out its mission in a hostile Iraq without the other.

IRAQ: Halliburton's Higher Bill for $5 Billion Moreby Griff Witte, The Washington PostJuly 6th, 2005The new order, which comes despite lingering questions about the company's past billing, replaces an earlier agreement that expired last June but had been extended through this spring to ensure a continuous supply of food, sanitation, laundry and other logistical services for the troops.

Hallliburton Wins New $4.9Billion Iraq Contractby David Phinney, Special to CorpWatchJuly 6th, 2005With little fanfare and no public announcement, the U.S. Army quietly awarded $4.972 billion in new work to Halliburton on May 1 to support the United States military occupation of Iraq.

IRAQ: Workers Pay with Their Lives in War Zoneby Brendan Nicholson, The AgeJune 25th, 2005In just two years, 244 civilian contractors have died violently in Iraq. Money attracted most of them to the most dangerous place in the world - and there they died, in sniper attacks, missile and rocket attacks, helicopter crashes, suicide bombings and decapitations that followed kidnappings.

JORDAN: Land of Tycoonsby Stephen Glain, Newsweek InternationalJune 19th, 2005Driven from their own country by a deadly insurgency, Iraq's most prominent business families have exiled themselves to neighboring Jordan, where they manage their empires by telephone, e-mail and courier. At the core of this group are leaders of Iraq's dozen or so powerful merchant families who for the past century have controlled Iraq's private sector.

US: Off-budget Accounting for Iraqby Editorial, The Roanoke Times June 18th, 2005The 2006 budget submitted to Congress in February didn't contain one penny for combat in Iraq or Afghanistan. Bush insisted it would be impossible to know how much would be needed, so instead of including anything in the regular budget, he plans to continue the tradition of coming to Congress for emergency supplemental appropriations when war funds get low.

UK: Land Rovers Deployed Against Civiliansby Richard Norton-Taylor, The GuardianJune 18th, 2005Evidence that military Land Rovers are being used against civilians - despite assurances from the British government that they are not - is revealed in photographs taken in Gaza, Uzbekistan, and Aceh province in Indonesia.

US: SAIC Rejoins Pentagon's Media Blitzby Dean Calbreath, The San Diego Union-TribuneJune 18th, 2005The Pentagon's Special Operations Command last week launched a five-year, $300 million media campaign to promote its message overseas – notably in "higher-threat areas such as Iraq and Lebanon" – to be coordinated by the Joint Psychological Operations Support Element. SAIC was one of the companies picked to lead the campaign

US: The Duke Stir and the Defense Contractorby Editorial, The Washington PostJune 17th, 2005When Mr. Cunningham wanted to sell his house in 2003, he didn't bother to put it on the market. Instead, according to reporting by Marcus Stern of Copley News Service, Mr. Cunningham -- who sits on the defense appropriations subcommittee -- turned to a defense contractor. The contractor, Mitchell Wade of MZM Inc., bought the house for $1,675,000. He then put the house back on the market, where it languished for 261 days before selling for $700,000 less than the original purchase price.

US: Second Security Contractor Alleges Marine Abuse in Iraqby Scott Sonner, Associated PressJune 16th, 2005the ex-Marine never imagined his captors would be U.S. troops. And he never dreamed they would hand him a Koran and a prayer rug, and treat him like the enemy for the next 72 hours. "It's just unreal," said Ginter, 30, Colorado Springs, Colo., the latest to speak out among 16 American and three Iraqi security contractors who were detained for three days in a facility with insurgents after being accused of firing shots at U.S. troops near Fallujah.

FIJI: Workers Warn of Contractors in Kuwait Supporting Iraq WarFiji TimesJune 15th, 2005Fijians returning home after a stint from security jobs in Kuwait say their government must thoroughly scrutinise all contracts. "I wouldn't want our local men to face the kind of life we experienced in Kuwait as it only brings tears when we think of our family back home," Mikaele Jiuta told a press conference last night

US: The 2005 Quadrennial Defense Review and The Military Industrial Baseby Jack Spencer and Kathy Gudgel, The Heritage FoundationJune 14th, 2005'In the 1980s, there were about 20 prime contractors; now there are only 4 or 5. There must be some recognition of the effect that this decline has on the supplier base and its ramifications for innovation and profitability. Furthermore, the Department of Defense apparently believes that the future of innovation resides with small companies, but this is counter to the ongoing trend—primarily mergers and acquisitions.'

AFGHANISTAN: Families Sue Private Contractor Over Soldiers' Deathsby Kristin Collins, The News & ObserverJune 14th, 2005The families of three Army soldiers who died in a plane crash in Afghanistan filed a civil suit Monday against Blackwater Lodge and Training Center, a company that contracts with the military to provide staff and equipment in war zones, and several aviation companies that Blackwater owns. At least one of the companies was operating the flight that crashed into a mountainside in November, the lawsuit claims.

IRAQ: Unions Thwarted By All Sidesby Sue Pleming, ReutersJune 14th, 2005Iraqi unionists said their attempts to mobilize workers were being thwarted by all sides -- from foreign companies working in Iraq to insurgents and the U.S. and Iraqi military.

WORLD: The Rise of the Private Security Companiesby Deborah Avant, Foreign PolicyJune 13th, 2005Today's private security companies are corporate endeavors that perform logistics support, training, security, intelligence work, risk analysis, and much more. They operate in an open market, work for many employers at once, and boast of their professionalism.

IRAQ: Banned Contractor Still Soliciting Iraq Dealsby Deborah Hastings, Associated PressJune 12th, 2005Former executives of Custer Battles _ an American firm accused of stealing millions from Iraq reconstruction projects and banned from further government contracts _ have continued doing contracting work and have formed new companies to bid on such projects, The Associated Press has learned.

IRAQ: Who Keeps Tabs on Contractorsby Deborah Hastings, Associated PressJune 12th, 2005There is no centralized procedure for monitoring scores of contracting firms rebuilding Iraq with U.S. funds, according to the military. The controls that do exist have been criticized for failing to keep track of millions of dollars.

US: Lawmaker's Real Estate Deal with Defense Contractor Questionedby Marcus Stern, Copley News ServiceJune 12th, 2005A defense contractor with ties to Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham took a $700,000 loss on the purchase of the congressman's Del Mar house while the congressman, a member of the influential defense appropriations subcommittee, was supporting the contractor's efforts to get tens of millions of dollars in contracts from the Pentagon.

US: Pentagon Funds Diplomacy Effortby Renae Merle, The Washington PostJune 11th, 2005The Pentagon awarded three contracts this week, potentially worth up to $300 million over five years, to companies it hopes will inject more creativity into its psychological operations efforts to improve foreign public opinion about the United States, particularly the military.

US: Military Says No Liesby James W. Crawley, Media General News ServiceJune 11th, 2005Three private contractors hired by the U.S. military to help make commercials, write news stories and produce TV shows aimed at foreign countries will tell the truth -- not lies, said the Army officer overseeing the contracts.

IRAQ: Security Contractor Detainedby Clint Confehr, Shelbyville Times-GazetteJune 10th, 2005Rick Blanchard says he was one of eight former U.S. Marines among 14 security specialists in a 19-man convoy employed by Zapata Engineering of Charlotte, N.C. on May 28 in Northern Iraq where Marines intercepted them and escorted them to Camp Fallujah.

US: Profile of a Private Security Worker in Iraqby Clint Confehr, Shelbyville times-GazetteJune 10th, 2005One respects him for his work and taking responsibility for children. Another sees him like a fraternity brother. All recognized him as suffering human foibles, but acknowledged his attempts to overcome them. All but one were named by Blanchard as people who know him here. Their recollections paint a picture of a multi-faceted man with a story worth hearing.

IRAQ: Security Guards Sent Back to U.S.by Sharon Behn, The Washington TimesJune 10th, 2005A North Carolina company has repatriated its private security contractors, including eight former U.S. Marines, after they were accused and detained in Iraq for purportedly shooting at American troops in Fallujah.

IRAQ: Shooting Inquest Resumes by Andrew Barrow, The ScotsmanJune 9th, 2005All four worked for ArmorGroup, a security firm with 1,000 employees in Iraq protecting official buildings and companies. They were part of a civilian convoy working on the security of a reconstruction project close to Mosul when their convoy came under fire from gunmen.

IRAQ: U.S. Marines Detained 19 Security Contractorsby T. Christian Miller, The Los Angeles TimesJune 8th, 2005U.S. Marines forcibly detained a team of security guards working for an American engineering firm in Iraq after reportedly witnessing the contractors fire at U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians from an armed convoy. The employees have said that the incident was a case of mistaken identity. Several have accused the Marines of verbally and physically abusing them while they were in custody.

US: Sen. Carl Levin Says Recent Boeing Investigation Falls Shortby U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Michigan, U.S. SenateJune 7th, 2005' believe that critical gaps in this report have placed a cloud over it and indeed over the Inspector General’s office. In my view, the report fails to discuss critical issues, omits critical material, and redacts key portions of the report in a manner that raises serious questions about whether this report meets applicable requirements for the independence of Inspectors General.'

US: Pentagon, Air Force Officials Criticized for Boeing Tanker Dealby Tony Capaccio, BloombergJune 7th, 2005The U.S. Defense Department's weapons buying chief and senior Air Force officials sidestepped regulations in a $23 billion proposal to lease and buy as many as 100 Boeing Co. tankers, the Pentagon's inspector general said. The acquisition process takes on added importance as the Pentagon plans to boost annual spending on new weapons by 52 percent during the next six years, as at least 13 programs move into production, to $118 billion in fiscal 2011 from $78 billion this year.

IRAQ: The Unquiet American and the Murder of a Whistle-Blowing Contractorby Aram Roston, Washington MonthlyJune 7th, 2005With the exception of the submachine gun and a pistol tucked into his belt, Dale Stoffel looked the same in Baghdad as he had in Washington. His life—and death was a version, in miniature, of the American occupation itself. As a friend of his later told me, “When Stoffel first got to Iraq, it was the reaction most people have the first time they go to Vegas.”

IRAQ: Security Companies Lobby for Heavy Armsby Sharon Behn, The Washington TimesJune 6th, 2005Charged with the front-line responsibility of defending infrastructure projects, homes, personnel and even U.S. military convoys, private security companies in Iraq are in some instances agitating for the right to arm themselves with heavy military-style weapons.

IRAQ: Training Iraqi Police is an Uphill Strugglehttp://www.eastvalleytribune.comJune 5th, 2005Facing the constant threat of ambushes, suicide bombers, improvised explosive devices and kidnappers, former Scottsdale, Arizona, Police Chief Michael Heidingsfield travels to police stations and training camps around Iraq — an itinerary, according to one of his top aides, that is more difficult now than it was when he arrived six months ago.

IRAQ: Filipinos Striking Against Contractors in Iraq Return to WorkThe Sun StarMay 29th, 2005
Striking Filipino workers employed in a US military camp have returned to work for International (PPI) and Kellogg Brown and Root. They were protesting against the delayed payment of their wages, inadequate food, and poor accommodations, which were violations of the contract signed by the workers prior to their deployment.

IRAQ: Little Known about Lives and Deaths of Contractorsby Jim Krane, Associated PressMay 29th, 2005There are 50,000 to 100,000 contractors working in Iraq, experts say, though reliable estimates are hard to come by. The number of contractors killed is just as difficult to pin down, partly because the employers often keep the deaths quiet. The U.S. military death toll, now over 1,620, would be higher but for the number of military tasks contracted out to the private sector, analysts say.

IRAQ: Filipino Labor Dispute 'Temporarily Resolved'by Christine O. Avendaño and Jerome Aning, Inquirer News Service May 28th, 2005A labor strike by some 300 Filipinos employed at Camp Cook in the Iraqi province of Taji who were protesting poor working conditions has been "temporarily resolved.” The workers are under contract with Prime Projects International and Kellogg Brown and Root.

IRAQ: Labor Strike by Filipinos Working for KBRby Veronica Uy, INQ7.netMay 27th, 2005Some 300 Filipino workers in the sprawling American military base in Camp Cooke in Taji, Iraq went on strike because of alleged violations in their employment contracts, an e-mail message to INQ7.net disclosed.

IRAQ: Filipinos Wage Labor Strike Against Contractorsby Caroline Hawley , BBC NewsMay 27th, 2005Around 300 Filipino workers have gone on strike at a US military base in Baghdad, apparently in a protest over their working conditions that they say include long hours and unsatisfactory food and accommodation.

US: Private Military Companies, Handle with Careby Paul Marx, United States Naval InstituteMay 25th, 2005In even the most benign environment, PMCs complicate military command and control, communications, intelligence, and operational security. They make combat commanders' duties more difficult and hazardous, and they blur political-military-private sector delineations that have served nation states well for the past four hundred years.

US: Arms Sales Go to Dictatorsby Martin Sieff, UPIMay 25th, 2005President George W. Bush may have pledged to promote democracy around the world, but most U.S. arms sales to the developing world still go to prop up dictatorial regimes, according to a new report.

IRAQ: U.S. Official Defends Reconstruction ProgressReutersMay 25th, 2005The outgoing U.S. official overseeing rebuilding work in Iraq, said projects were moving ahead despite soaring security costs, which U.S. auditors say can chew up half of the funding. Still, Iraqis complain their electricity grid is more fragile than ever and promises to improve their daily lives have not materialized.

IRAQ: Attacks Increasingly Hit Private Securityby Sharon Behn, The Washington TimesMay 23rd, 2005Iraq's insurgents are conducting increasingly sophisticated and lethal attacks on the private security companies that are crucial to the nation's reconstruction and the eventual departure of U.S. troops, contractors and U.S. officials say.

US: Senate Committee Silence on Halliburton Bemoanedby Emily Pierce, Roll CallMay 23rd, 2005Called "spineless," the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has held no hearings on whether civilian contractors in Iraq — particularly Halliburton, the company Vice President Cheney used to head — have mismanaged and overcharged the government by billions of dollars, much to the consternation of Senate Democrats.

IRAQ: Security Concerns Delay Reconstruction of Iraqby Paul Garwood, Associated PressMay 21st, 2005Ceaseless attacks on contractors and facilities have also increasing security demands, with up to 16 percent of all project costs now being spent on hiring armed guards, improving site protection and providing equipment like hardened vehicles and telecommunications systems.

US: Statement by Triple Canopy, Inc. Regarding Employment
by Triple Canopy, Inc. (press release), PRNewswireMay 20th, 2005"Triple Canopy stands alone in the industry in the quality of its
hiring and training practices, and we are seriously concerned that
reports from Honduras this week have misstated our standards for
recruiting employees for the services we provide in Iraq," said Joe
Mayo, Director, Public Affairs.

IRAQ: Rules and Cash Flew Out the Windowby T. Christian Miller, The Los Angeles TimesMay 20th, 2005More than 1,000 contracts were issued by U.S. officials in June, about double the usual number. This apparent indifference toward accountability in spending Iraqi money was common among American officials last year as they rushed to sign contracts in the waning days of U.S. control of Iraq, according to interviews and documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times.

UGANDA: Recruiting for Iraqby Denis Ocwich, allAfrica.comMay 19th, 2005In Kampala, the gates of Askar Security Services in Kamwokya are buzzing with enthusiastic young men and women signing in for deployment in Iraq. They want to take the chance of a lifetime. They cannot wait to test the waters.

US: Protesters get rowdy as Halliburton meetsby Purva Patel and Paige Hewitt, The Houston ChronicleMay 19th, 2005Chief Executive Dave Lesar told reporters after the meeting that the company is still evaluating a contract to rebuild southern Iraq's oil industry. As for its larger contract to provide meals, shelter and other support to the troops, he said, "We are committed to see that contract through."

US: DynCorp International Again Wins Contract for Narcotics Eradicationby DynCorp International (press release), BUSINESS WIREMay 19th, 2005The contract, under the State Department's Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, could extend from an initial base period to 10 years with incentives for strong performance. The annual contract value is $174 million, but could vary depending upon mission changes.

IRAQ: Translators Dying by the Dozensby Jim Krane, Associated PressMay 19th, 2005More than 4,000 translators work for San Diego, Calif.-based Titan, which supplies the U.S. military with Arabic- and Kurdish-speaking linguists. The company reported record revenues last month, but its death toll also is far higher than any other civilian contracting firm in Iraq, including those with many more workers.

UGANDA: Did Askar Security Lie about Recruits for Iraq?by Opiyo Oloya, The New VisionMay 18th, 2005'Those knowledgeable with the cut-throat, multi-billion dollar global security contractors’ business would not quickly dismiss the claims by Askar Security that it was asked by Kroll Associates and South African Coin Security to recruit thousands of Ugandans for security work in Iraq and elsewhere.'

IRAQ: Oil-for-Food Probes Expose Cultural Gulfsby Peter Grier and Faye Bowers, The Christian Science MonitorMay 18th, 2005Two years after Mr. Hussein's ouster, revelations about his alleged bribery system have developed into a full-force international financial scandal. The controversy involves both the nature of bribes and the zeal, or lack thereof, of the United Nations reaction.

IRAQ: US 'Backed Illegal Iraqi Oil Deals' by Julian Borger and Jamie Wilson, The GuardianMay 17th, 2005A report released last night by Democratic staff on a Senate investigations committee presents documentary evidence that the Bush administration was made aware of illegal oil sales and kickbacks paid to the Saddam Hussein regime but did nothing to stop them.

IRAQ: Security Contractors Face Great Dangerby David Levinsky, Burlington County TimesMay 17th, 2005Although private security forces often perform many of the same functions as U.S. troops, they are not governed by military rules mandating the amount of men and firepower they take along for tasks such as convoy protection, said Deborah Avant, associate professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University. "There are situations when they are more at risk."

US: Perpetual Wars Deliver Poor Returns for America by Pierre Tristam, Daytona Beach News-JournalMay 17th, 2005Halliburton-type profiteering only seems like a Republican specialty. But the immutable law of war is that while unlucky people die, lucky ones make a killing. That's been true whether Gengis Khan was pillaging his way across Asia, whether Abraham Lincoln was saving the Union, or George W. Bush was saving the world. Party registration has never had anything to do with it other than to give the minority party, when it exists, a chance to seem relevant.

U.S.A.: Galloway Calls Congressional Hearings a Diversion From Iraqby Demian McLean, BloombergMay 17th, 2005British lawmaker George Galloway told a U.S. Senate panel today that Congress was were diverting attention from the failings of U.S. contractors in Iraq, the possible misuse of money by the U.S.-led Coalition, the spreading of money around the country by U.S. military commanders without accountability, and U.S. companies such as Bayoil (USA) Inc., which is accused of paying millions of dollars to Hussein for the right to sell Iraqi oil.

U.S.A.: Fresh Bid in Congress to Lift Veil on Private Security Workby August Cole, MarketWatchMay 16th, 2005Rep. David Price, D-N.C., reintroduced the legislation that would require private security firms to disclose costs, training, insurance, pay, benefits and other details about their business. The measure encompasses companies whose workers carry weapons for their contracts or are involved in security, training and logistics duties.

SOUTH AFRICA: Easy money Lures Men to War-Torn Iraqby Michael Schmidt, The StarMay 16th, 2005Iraq is by far the most lucrative cash cow for these soldiers of fortune, with at least 30 percent of the billions of dollars the US Department of Defence spends on Iraq every month going to "private military contractors".

IRAQ: Oil-for-Food Benefited Russians, Report Saysby Justin Blum and Colum Lynch, The Washington PostMay 16th, 2005Top Kremlin operatives and a flamboyant Russian politician reaped millions of dollars in profits under the U.N. oil-for-food program by selling oil that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein allowed them to buy at a deep discount, a U.S. Senate investigation has concluded.

IRAQ: Big Salaries Blur Risk for Hired Gunsby Matthew D. LaPlante , Salt Lake TribuneMay 15th, 2005 They're targeted for shootings, bombings - even beheadings. The cash is good. Really good. One-hundred-thousand-for-six-months-work good. Sometimes, it's even better than that. And that's nothing to scoff at for soldiers who don't make a quarter as much for a full year's work. But worth it for the job they're contracted to do?

IRAQ: Money Isn't Worth It for Reconstruction Workersby Editorial, Contra Costa TimesMay 13th, 2005Working in Iraq is like playing the lottery -- only in this case, you pray that your number does not come up. According to the Web site www.icasualties.org, more than 200 foreign private contractors have lost their lives in Iraq in the past two years. Iraq is an extremely hairy place -- particularly for anyone even remotely connected with the U.S. reconstruction efforts.

IRAQ: Whistleblower Lawsuit Hinges on Status of Occupying Governmentby MAtthew Barakat, Associated PressMay 12th, 2005A federal judge must decide whether the United States has jurisdiction over the spending of seized Iraqi assets by the Coalition Provisional Authority. His decision weighs in the balance over a court battle accusing the private security firm, Custer Battles, of defrauding about $50 million while working in postwar Iraq.

UGANDA: Hundreds Seek Work as Guards in Iraqby Daniel Wallis, ReutersMay 11th, 2005Undeterred by the risks, up to 1,000 mostly young men marched, jogged and goose-stepped around a suburban park after a local company, Askar Security Services, said it had been hired by "international partners" to recruit Ugandans for work in Iraq and other countries.

SOUTH AFRICA: Dogs of War Head Home – But They'll Find It's Goneby Jonathan Clayton, The TimesMay 11th, 2005After more than a year in a Zimbabwean jail 62 black South African mercenaries are due to be released, but freedom will be a bittersweet experience. Embarrassed by the “cesspool of mercenaries” within its midst, the South African authorities have decreed that the dust-blown town of Pomfret must be razed and the inhabitants scattered across the country.

IRAQ: The Shadowy World of Guns for Hire by Michinobu Yanagisawa and Yomiuri Shimbun, Daily YomiuriMay 10th, 2005What private security firms in Iraq actually do has been shrouded in mystery. Some provide more than just security. Many are involved in military activities.

AUSTRALIA: Why Aussie Workers Keep Going Back to Iraqby Nick Taylor, The Sunday TimesMay 8th, 2005There are actually fewer than 70 Australians registered with the Australian Embassy in Iraq, but the true number is thought to be more than 200. Many contractors arrive without telling authorities.They include aid workers, security guards, truck drivers and representatives from Australian firms, including Perth-based oil and engineering companies. Australian companies have won an estimated $1 billion in Iraq contracts.

U.S.A.: Pentagon Issues New Rules for Contractors on the Battlefieldby Renae Merle, The Washington PostMay 7th, 2005One of most controversial issues the rules addressed was whether contractors should be allowed to carry weapons to protect themselves. The proposed rule said they must have the express permission of the combatant commander. Several commenters complained that this was unrealistic, while another expressed concern it would spawn "armies of mercenaries."

U.S.A.: The Marines Issued Sub-Standard Body Armor Found to be Flawedby Christian Lowe, Marine TimesMay 7th, 2005The Marine Corps accepted about 19,000 Interceptor outer tactical vests after tests revealed critical, life-threatening flaws in the vests. The Corps then issued nearly 10,000 to troops. It is unclear whether any Marine casualties in Iraq have resulted from shrapnel or bullets that have penetrated vests distributed from the lots in question. The manufacturer, Point Blank Body Armor, Inc., would not provide a list of serial numbers from the lots saying that the information was “proprietary.”

SOUTH AFRICA: Private security, a disturbing peace of mind (Part I)by Ellen Hollemans, Mail & Guardian OnlineMay 5th, 2005They are everywhere -- ferrying money to businesses in military-style vehicles, guarding gated communities or sitting on three-legged chairs watching over suburban streets. "Private security is growing and has gone through a silent revolution. All over the world, the industry has boomed," says the chain-smoking Jenny Irish-Qhobosheane, a private security researcher.

U.S.A.: Last Ditch Ploy to Save C-130Jby Steve Turner, Macon DailyMay 5th, 2005An amendment was slipped into Iraq Supplemental spending bill behind closed doors that would prohibit the Pentagon from terminating the C-130J program. The Senate is expected to vote on final passage of the bill next week.

IRAQ: Big staff Turnover Plagues U.S. Rebuildingby Sue Pleming, ReutersMay 5th, 2005Companies working in Iraq, auditors and the U.S. government office running the $18.4 billion U.S. rebuilding program all say contracting staff shortages in Baghdad are a problem as overworked employees struggle to oversee and award contracts in a stressful, hostile environment.

IRAQ: Oversight of Interrogation Contracts Broke Downby Shane Harris, GovExec.comMay 4th, 2005Numerous breakdowns in management and oversight occurred when the Interior Department, on behalf of military forces in Iraq, hired private sector interrogators to work in the notorious Abu Ghraib prison, according to a Government Accountability Office report.

IRAQ: American Workers in Iraq Accept Dangerby James Temple, Contra Costa TimesMay 4th, 2005The government either doesn't know or won't say the actual number of workers engaged in reconstruction, and companies won't discuss it, citing security concerns. But the Department of Labor does know the death toll: As of March 31, death claims for civilians working on U.S. government contracts in Iraq had reached 276.

IRAQ: FOX News And KBRby Nicholas Olson , Useless-Knowledge.comMay 3rd, 2005Some may not remember that these truck drivers and other civilian contractors in Iraq are being paid a godawful amount of money to be there. Some make nearly $10,000/month! Meanwhile, driving right next to them, is a soldier who gets a $450/month "hazard duty pay" bonus to do the same job. Some of these servicemembers are Reservist and National Guard members who have left civilian jobs that pay 3 or 4 times their military wage.

IRAQ: Halliburton's War Lootby Brian Cloughley, CounterpunchMay 3rd, 2005It was Rumsfeld, CEO of the Pentagon, who was complicit in trying to conceal shenanigans by Haliburton subsidiary, KBR, and allowing his people to censor sections of critical audit reports.

U.S.A.: Buddies of Hostage Call him 'Awesome'
by Matthew B. Stannard and Leslie Fulbright, The San Francisco ChronicleMay 3rd, 2005Public records suggest Doug Wood went through several years of money troubles and tax battles. His friends wondered if that was what led him back overseas to Iraq, where contractors commonly pull down six-figure salaries in danger bonuses. "I saw real potential to work, to build things, to make things happen in Iraq," he told a newspaper.

US: Congressmen Asks Halliburton to Explain Discrepancies with Iraq Kickback Indictmentby Rep. Henry Waxman and Rep. Stephen Lynch , U.S. CongressMay 2nd, 2005Halliburton representatives testified that the Halliburton employees being investigated for taking kickbacks under the LOGCAP troop support contract were not managers but were "administrative people." Yet according to the Justice Department, a Halliburton manager has now been indicted for this kickback scheme.

IRAQ: Corruption is the Growth Industryby By Paul McGeough, The AgeMay 2nd, 2005Like many other Iraqis, businessmen invariably make then-and-now comparisons with Saddam Hussein. Saddam ran his own massive corruption of the UN oil-for-food program and he and his cronies regularly demanded a cut of any new business or contract. But Iraqi businessman said: "I'd say that about 10 per cent of business was corrupt under Saddam. Now it's about 95 per cent. We used to have one Saddam, now we have 25 of them."

IRAQ: Iraqi Army Wants to Buy Australianby Jamie Walker, The AdvertiserApril 30th, 2005Brigadier Hussan Zuyad, chief of the Iraqi National Guard for Al Muthanna province, said the arrival of Australian troops would give him an opportunity to evaluate their equipment. "We want many things because we are really starting from the ground rebuilding our army," he said.

U.S.A.: Cost Climbs on Army Contract with Boeingby Tom Bowman, Baltimore SunApril 30th, 2005Pentagon officials now say the costs for stricter safeguards on price information, cost accountability and conflicts of interest will cost $25 million to $75 million just three weeks after Army said there would be no "significant costs" in restructuring the contract for the Future Combat System.

PHILIPPINES: Pinoys Working in Iraq Not Will Not Be Evacuatedby Mayen Jaymalin, Philippine Headline News OnlineApril 30th, 2005After reports of U.S. pressure, Philippines clarifies that call for Filipino workers employed by contractors to leave Iraq is only voluntary. "We are ready to implement mass repatriation if it becomes necessary, but the government is only undertaking voluntary repatriation of workers from Iraq" said Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas.

IRAQ: French Bank Caught Up in Oil-for-Food Probeby David R. Sands, The Washington TimesApril 29th, 2005The chief executive officer of BNP Paribas-North America acknowledged the bank had committed "avoidable errors" in handling some of the vast program's accounts, but said an extensive internal probe had uncovered no outright fraud related to questionable transfers.

WORLD: Global Competition for Energy Heats Upby Kevin G. Hall, Knight Ridder NewspapersApril 29th, 2005For now, the United States remains well positioned, at least when it comes to energy supplies. The proven reserves in the Middle East make it the expected primary global supplier of crude oil. Iraq, where the United States has forcefully established a beachhead, has proven oil reserves of between 78 and 112 billion barrels.

IRAQ: Ahmad Chalabi as Acting Oil Minister Raises Concernsby Tom Doggett, ReutersApril 28th, 2005Chalabi is taking over the ministry at a critical time. It must make decisions on which companies get preference for oil sales, which contracts are honored and which will be renegotiated. The ministry also faces frequent sabotage against its oil pipelines.

U.S.A.: The Consequences Of Warby Robert Scheer, The NationApril 28th, 2005In 2003, conquering Iraq looked like a great package deal, what with all that oil -- second only to Saudi Arabia -- and the manufactured photo ops of cheering Iraqis. This was a win-win, as the corporate guys like to say.

U.S.A.: Custer Battles Fights Backby Eddie Curran, Mobile RegisterApril 27th, 2005The reputation of Custer Battles has been shattered by accusations first aired in lawsuits against it by DRC, the Alabama-based disaster services firm headed by globe-trotting former FBI agent Robert "Bob" Isakson. Now Custer Battles has filed a counterclaim -- sort of a lawsuit within a lawsuit -- accusing DRC of the similar activities, such as fraudulent billing, leveled by Isakson.

IRAQ: Money Was Laying on the Ground After Fall of Baghdadby Vicki Mabrey, CBS NewsApril 26th, 2005Former Supply U.S. Army Sgt. Matt Novak and some of his buddies immediately went looking for their own windfall, and they found one: $200 million packed in 50 boxes of $100 bills. Before they knew it, soldiers were grabbing bundles of bills. The Army offered amnesty to any soldier who returned cash, but Novak says not all of the money found in Iraq was returned.

U.S.A.: Still Missing in Iraqby Jeff Amy, Mobile RegisterApril 26th, 2005Tim Bell's family will get together to mark his second birthday since the Mobile man disappeared in Iraq on April 9, 2004 following an attack on a truck convoy for a Halliburton subsidiary. Bell's mother and children joined a lawsuit against Halliburton in Texas state court charging that Halliburton concealed the dangers of working in Iraq.

GERMANY: UN Probes German Companies in Oil-for-Food Scandalby Beat Balzli, Der SpiegelApril 25th, 2005German industry has come under the scrutiny of UN investigators. As far back as October, UN staffers with the investigation contacted Germany's Foreign Ministry in Berlin and submitted a list containing 50 German companies. According to government sources, that list "also included some very well-known companies."

FIJI: Paying the Blood Price in IraqFiji TimesApril 23rd, 2005Six US citizens, employed by the Blackwater Security Consulting firm, and two Filippino guards were among 11 killed when a Bulgarian commercial helicopter was shot down north of Baghdad. The deaths of at least 13 foreign security contractors in two days is the latest blow to Iraq's private security sector, which the interior ministry estimates employs 50,000 foreigners and Iraqis.

IRAQ: Desire for Cash Proves Lethalby David Crawshaw, The Courier-MailApril 23rd, 2005An Australian man shot dead in Baghdad was well aware of the risks of working as a private security guard in Iraq, all of whom carry a $50,000 bounty on their heads, his stepmother said yesterday.

U.S.A.: Security Company Loses Seven in Iraqby Emery P. Dalesio, Associated PressApril 23rd, 2005Six Blackwater Security Consulting guards responsible for protecting U.S. diplomats were killed Thursday when their helicopter was shot down as it headed from Baghdad to Tikrit for a security detail, said company spokesman Chris Bertelli.

IRAQ: Securtiy Firm Falls Short on Safety Auditby Griff Witte, The Washington PostApril 23rd, 2005A controversial British firm, Aegis Defence Services Ltd., responsible for a sweeping $293 million contract in Iraq could not prove that employees received proper weapons training or that it had vetted Iraqi employees to ensure they did not pose a threat, according to a government audit.

IRAQ: Lead Investigator Says Abu Ghraib Translator Lacked Trainingby Leon Worden, The SignalApril 22nd, 2005Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba says John B. Israel was trying to do the right thing for his adopted homeland when he signed on as a translator for U.S. Army intelligence at Abu Ghraib prison in October 2003. But he received incomplete training when he got there, fell in with an interrogator who didn't adhere to strict Army policy, and gave inconsistent answers when questioned about the abuses he may have witnessed.

U.S.A.: Audit Criticizes Aegis Security Work in Iraq by Sue Pleming, ReutersApril 22nd, 2005Investigators said Aegis Defence Services could not correctly document that employees are qualified for weapons use and that many of its Iraqi workers have not been not properly screened for security jobs. Ageis had little prior experience in the Middle East before landing a $293 million contract in Iraq and its main shareholder, former British army officer Tim Spicer, has been at the center of several controversies, including an arms deal that broke a U.N. embargo in 1998 and questions raised by Irish Americans over his military record in Northern Ireland.

IRAQ: Abu Ghraib Translator Says He Received Little Guidance by Leon Worden, The SignalApril 21st, 2005Testimony by John Israel, still considered classified, paints a picture of a contract intelligence translator receiving little training in military procedures before being pushed into service and who and minded his own business to the extent that he was oblivious to the abuses that were going on around him.

CANADA: Our pensions are Financing Their Warby Will Offley, Seven Oaks MagazineApril 20th, 2005Aware of it or not, the B.C. provincial government is actively involved in underwriting the illegal U.S. occupation of Iraq. Pension fund investments are include stock holdings in 39 of the top 100 Pentagon contractors, including the seven largest: Lockheed, Boeing, Raytheon, Northrup Grumman, General Dynamics, United Technologies and General Electric.

U.S.A.: Mobilizing Against Halliburton, the “Poster Child for War Profiteering”by Scott Parkin interviewed by Kevin Zeese, ZNETApril 20th, 2005As more and more revelations about contract abuse in Iraq by Halliburton come out regularly, activists in Houston are working with national groups, including Democracy Rising, to highlight corporate contract abuse by Halliburton when they hold their shareholders meeting this May 18.

SUDAN: Rebels Say Oil Drilling in Darfur Must Stopby Nima Elbagir, ReutersApril 19th, 2005Sudan on Tuesday said its ABCO corporation -- in which Swiss company Cliveden owns 37 percent -- had begun drilling for oil in Darfur, where preliminary studies showed there were "abundant" quantities of oil. "The Sudanese people have never benefited from these (oil) discoveries," said Ahmed Hussein, the London-based spokesman for the Justice and Equality Movement. "The oil must wait until a final peace deal is signed."

U.S.A.: Houston Oilmen Deny Paying Kickbacks to Iraqby David Ivanovich, The Houston ChronicleApril 18th, 2005Appearing in federal court, David B. Chalmers Jr., head of Houston-based BayOil (USA), and his business associate Ludmil Dionissiev pleaded innocent to charges they fixed oil prices and paid illegal surcharges as part of a scheme to ingratiate themselves with Saddam Hussein's regime and thereby profit from Iraqi oil sales.

U.S.A.: A Form of Disaster Capitalism is Reshaping Societies to Its Own Design by Naomi Klein, The Guardian April 18th, 2005Fittingly, a government devoted to perpetual pre-emptive deconstruction now has a standing office of perpetual pre-emptive reconstruction. Gone are the days of waiting for wars to break out and drawing up plans to pick up the pieces. The White House now has an office that keeps "high risk" countries on a "watch list" and assembles teams made up of private companies, NGOs and members of thinktanks - some will have "pre-completed" contracts to rebuild countries that are not yet broken.

U.S.A.: Defense Contract Reforms Probedby Andrea Shalal-Esa, ReutersApril 18th, 2005Billing disputes with contractors in Iraq have sparked major questions about Pentagon reforms of the 1990s that streamlined acquisition programs but also cut down on oversight of performance and billing.

IRAQ: New Police Force is Largely untrained and UnreliableBusinessWeekApril 18th, 2005While the Iraqi army seems to be getting up to speed, the training of the 142,000-member police force is moving more slowly and fraught with bigger problems than reports by U.S. officials might suggest. The eventual goal is to have Iraqis training all of their security forces, but private contractors expect to continue working well into 2006. One small but revealing reason says one trainer: students suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. "They are the main targets of insurgents," he says. "It makes it difficult to maintain their attention span."

IRAQ: Rethinking Reconstruction as Grand U.S. Plan Fractures Againby Erik Eckholm, The New York TimesApril 17th, 2005For the third time in nine months, the Bush administration has redrafted its project to rebuild Iraq, The need for the reallocation of money grew not only from unanticipated security costs but also from what many experts said were flawed assumptions by Pentagon planners and Congress when they set out to pepper Iraq with large infrastructure projects built by American companies.

WORLD: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism in Post-Conflict Nationsby Naomi Klein, The Nation (from the May 2, 2005 issue)April 17th, 2005There is no doubt that there are profits to be made in the reconstruction business. There are massive engineering and supplies contracts; “democracy building” has exploded into a $2 billion industry; and times have never been better for public-sector consultants - the private firms that advise governments on selling off their assets, often running government services themselves as subcontractors.

IRAQ: Two Pinoys Wounded in Baghdad Shootingby Pia Lee-Brago, Philstar.comApril 17th, 2005Two Filipino workers were wounded in Iraq when armed insurgents fired on the mini bus in which they were traveling between Baghdad center and the city’s airport, the Department of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.

IRAQ: Shoot to Kill, but no Legally Considered Combatantsby Ann Scott Tyson, The Washington PostApril 16th, 2005With more hired guns in Iraq than in any other U.S. conflict since the 1991 Persian Gulf War, armed contractors admit their role is cloudy and controversial. They're driven by money and a lust for life on the edge, but also by a self-styled altruism. They do shoot to kill, but they aren't legally considered combatants.

IRAQ: Contractor Says Dangerous Work Full of Risks and Rewardsby Jon Murray, The Indianapolis StarApril 16th, 2005Private contractors in Iraq say pay can top $100,000 for a year's work. But plenty of danger is often part of the bargain. Frank Atkins, who returned home in October, said danger was part of his job as a police adviser. Sometimes, the former Marine enjoyed the thrill of fighting off insurgent attacks alongside U.S. military personnel on his convoys.

U.S.A.: Pentagon Defends Spicer Contractby Tom Griffin, The Irish WorldApril 15th, 2005The U.S. Government has defended its decision to award a £293 million Iraq Security contract to British mercenary Tim Spicer, in reponse to concerns raised by the family of Belfast man Peter McBride, who was shot dead by Scots Guards soldiers under Spicer’s command in 1992.

U.S.A.: The Oil-for-Food Scandal Seeps into Houstonby Editorial, The Houston ChronicleApril 15th, 2005In a city that has been rocked by the Enron collapse and subsequent prosecutions, the indictment of Houston oil executive David Chalmers Jr. and a Houston-based Bulgarian oil trader serves notice that the probe of irregularities in the U.N.-supervised oil-for-food program will likely ensnare more energy industry figures before it is finished.

EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Death of a Mercenary and a Private Armyby Yossi Melman, HaaretzApril 15th, 2005On March 7, 2004, the Zimbabwe police detained a chartered plane and arrested 70 of the passengers. Most of those detained said they had been hired by a security consultancy company to guard a diamond mine in Congo. A few days later, the government of Equatorial Guinea announced that its police had arrested 20 people who were the vanguard for the force that was arrested in Harare. According to the announcement, the two groups were connected and had planned to topple the regime of President Teodoro Obiang.

US: Oil-for-Food Scandal Broadens With New Chargesby Julia Preston and Judith Miller , The New York TimesApril 14th, 2005Federal authorities in New York today charged David B. Chalmers, a Houston oil trader, and his company, Bayoil, with making millions of dollars in illegal kickback payments to Iraq while trading oil under the program. Separate charges were brought against Tongsun Park, a South Korean businessman who figured in a Washington influence-peddling scandal some 30 years ago, accusing him of acting as an unregistered agent for Iraq in behind-the-scenes negotiations in the United States to set up and administer the program.

US: Pentagon's War Spending Hard to Track Says Chief InvestigatorReutersApril 13th, 2005The Defense Department is unable to track how it spent tens of millions of dollars in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the U.S. war on terrorism, Congress's top investigator said. While there was no doubt that appropriated funds were spent, "trying to figure out what they were spent on is like pulling teeth," he said, referring to an accounting effort that is under way for Congress.

AFGHANISTAN: Country Urged to Privatize PowerAsia PulseApril 12th, 2005In the thick of the reconstruction effort, American Energy Association's representative Charles Ebinger proposed, Afghanistan should jack up power tariff with a view to speeding up the revival of its economy hit by decades of war.

COLOMBIA: Big Oil's Secret War?by Bill Weinberg, WORLD WAR 4 REPORT: Deconstructing the War on TerrorismApril 10th, 2005Many of the 800 U.S. military advisors in Colombia are assigned to Arauca where California-based Occidental Petroleum in a joint partnership with the Colombia state company Ecopetrol runs the main oilfield. Occidental lobbied heavily for this project, which marks a departure from the erstwhile U.S. policy of only assisting ostensible narcotics enforcement operations in Colombia.

IRAQ: Millions Said Going to Wasteby T. Christian Miller, The Los Angeles TimesApril 10th, 2005Iraqi officials have crippled scores of water, sewage and electrical plants refurbished with U.S. funds by failing to maintain and operate them properly, wasting millions of American taxpayer dollars in the process, according to interviews and documents.

US: Harvard Divests from PetroChinaAssociated PressApril 7th, 2005Harvard University, after months of pressure from student activists, will sell an estimated $4.4 million (A€3.42 million) stake in PetroChina, whose parent company is closely tied to the Sudanese government, university officials said.

FIJI: More Fijians Go to IraqABC Radio AustraliaApril 6th, 2005There are now 224 Fijian troops serving in Iraq, and an estimated 1,000 more are serving with private security firms holding contracts for the United States government in both Iraq and Kuwait.

SWEDEN: Blix Now Believes Oil Thirst fueled War in IraqAssociated PressApril 6th, 2005Former UN chief weapons inspector Hans Blix has said he now believed the US-led invasion of Iraq was motivated by oil.
"I did not think so at first. But the US is incredibly dependent on oil," Swedish news agency TT quoted Mr Blix as saying at a security seminar in Stockholm.

US: Pentagon Makes Deal with Halliburton on Billing Disputeby David Ivanovich , The Houston ChronicleApril 6th, 2005Halliburton Co. and the U.S. Army have resolved a lengthy billing dispute over meals served to U.S. troops in Iraq and Kuwait, with the Pentagon ultimately refusing to reimburse $55 million worth of bills. At stake was $200 million in disputed costs incurred during the first nine months of the war and occupation, first in Kuwait and then in Iraq.

US: Army and Halliburton Settle Bill Disputeby Russell Gold and Neil King Jr., The Wall Street JournalApril 6th, 2005Halliburton will receive about 95% of what it billed, despite numerous concerns by Pentagon auditors that the company couldn't provide adequate documentation to justify its expenses. The favorable settlement is an indication the military brass is willing to treat Halliburton leniently since a large portion of the disputed services were performed in a theater of war.

IRAQ: Workers' Comp Can be Risky for Iraqis to Receiveby Larry Margasak, Associated PressApril 5th, 2005Just like workers in the United States, Iraqis employed by U.S. contractors in their country can collect workers' compensation insurance,but in a country where anti-American insurgents can scan the mail, many Iraqis receive their benefits in blank envelopes because a check from the United States can be a ticket to a worker's execution.

KUWAIT: Parliament Members Complain About Halliburton Investigationby Diana Elias , Associated PressApril 4th, 2005The head of a five-member Kuwaiti investigative committee said the U.S. military and Halliburton have failed to fully cooperate in the investigation of a contract for fuel deliveries to Iraq. "We sent them a letter to clarify some points, but we have not received an answer for three months," he said.

IRAQ: Reconstruction Gathers Pace as Violence Dipsby Suleiman al-Khalidi, ReutersApril 4th, 2005Companies with billions of dollars of U.S.-funded projects are seeking to recruit new Iraqi sub-contractors and international companies are encouraged by signs of declining violence in Iraq, but red tape and graft could offset the improved security situation, executives taking part in a huge reconstruction expo said on Monday.

IRAQ: Bush Aims to Remake Iraq as a Free-Market Paradiseby William O'Rourke, Chicago Sun-TimesApril 3rd, 2005When Paul Bremer, fresh from Kissinger Associates, first arrived in Iraq, the Coalition Provisional Authority made a lot of changes other than just disbanding what was left of the Iraqi army. He annulled all of Saddam Hussein's rules and regulations overseeing the Iraq economy, except one: He kept Saddam's laws banning labor unions.

IRAQ: From contractors to Combat
by Susan Taylor Martin, Times Senior Correspondent , St. Petersburg TimesApril 3rd, 2005But what happened to Dennis Moore and his colleagues in 18 harrowing hours underscores some of the missteps that have hindered efforts to rebuild Iraq. Since last April, instability throughout the country has forced RTI and many other contractors to scale back their work, sowing even more disillusionment among Iraqis.

IRAQ: Contractor Beating in Baghdadby Joline Gutierrez Krueger, The Albuquerque TribuneApril 2nd, 2005A 41-year-old Halliburton employee from Albuquerque is recovering from a beating in Baghdad that authorities say came not at the hands of Iraqi insurgents but from his own American co-workers.

U.S.A.: Senator Asks Cost of Redoing U.S. Army-Boeing Dealby Andrea Shalal-Esa, ReutersApril 1st, 2005Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who chairs the armed services subcommittee that oversees Army and Air Force programs, said he had serious concerns about the suitability of an "other transaction authority," or OTA, as the contract vehicle for the Future Combat Systems, noting Congress approved such agreements for small research or limited prototype projects, especially those intended to attract nontraditional defense contractors.

U.S.A.: Under Fire, Halliburton Hails Workers' Courageby Richard Williamson, AdweekApril 1st, 2005Halliburton is launching an ad campaign featuring real employees as the government services contractor faces lawsuits claiming that a truck convoy ambushed by insurgents April 9, 2004, was used as a decoy to draw attention away from another group delivering fuel.

WORLD: Paul Wolfowitz Played Key Role in Questionable Iraq Contractby Charlie Cray and Jim Vallette, Halliburton WatchMarch 31st, 2005If the World Bank's board had applied the same kind of "due diligence" to Paul Wolfowitz that they purport to apply to major development projects, they might have uncovered a significant conflict-of-interest that could have led them to rethink their embrace of the architect of the Iraq war.

FIJI: Many have no jobs in KuwaitFiji TimesMarch 29th, 2005Reports said that many security guards recruited from Fiji by Timoci Lolohea's Meridian Services Agency were still unemployed, two months after arriving in oil rich kingdom that borders war-torn Iraq.

IRAQ: Corruption Plagues School Repairsby Beth Potter, UPIMarch 29th, 2005In many cases, contractors charge twice for work done, a member of the Sadr City Advisory Council said. Schools cost about $10,000 to fix up, according to previous information from the Ministry of Education. That price tag can include paint, new tile and plumbing work.

US: Creditors Make Illegal Demands on Active-Duty Soldiers
by Diana B. Henriques , New York TimesMarch 28th, 2005Though statistics are scarce, court records and interviews with military and civilian lawyers suggest that Americans heading off to war are sometimes facing distracting and demoralizing demands from financial companies trying to collect on obligations that, by law, they cannot enforce.